Friday 11 August 2017

The Man in the High Castle — Series 1 — Episodes 7 and 8: Truth and The End of the World.

10th August, 2017.

You know … 

I think I can have to much of a good thing.

Or possibly not enough.

Hmmm … 

I’ll possibly have to re-read that sentence, later, and see if it makes sense … 

At ANY rate … ?

I have a short week, next week: some 25 hours.

There’s possibly a shorter one the week after.

As we have a bunch of new trainees coming on-stream.

I’m understandably, concerned: concerned enough to think making discreet enquiries at the job centre would be an idea.

But … ?

Well … 

I’ not sure if I could tell you exactly how, what or where my thoughts are going.

All I could tell you … ?

All I could tell you is that tonight is/was a night off, for me.

And, as I have done for the past few weeks?

Catch some TV.

In this case … ?

More of the formidable The Man in the High Castle.

~≈‽≈~

Episode 7 — Truth — shows us Juliana (Alexa Davalos) suprised: at exactly how friendly Trade Minister Tagomi (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) is.

And distressed to find him confirming her worst fears: her sister is dead, and buried in a mass grave.

Joe, however?   Joe (Luke Kleintank) us caught in Obergruppenführer Smith’s office: by the Obergruppenführer (Rufus Sewell), himself.

Episode 8 — The End of the World — Juliana and Frank (Rupert Evans) make plans to escape the Pacific States: raising much needed cash by creating and selling a fake version of a necklace worn by Sitting Bull.

Those plans?   Are put on hold, as Joe — back undercover — tries to discover a new film from the Man in the High Castle … walking into a Kempeitai ambush.

All through this?   Joe is under order’s from Obergruppenführer Smith … 

An Obergruppenführer coming to realise his devotion to his family … isn’t going to help his eldest son … 

~≈‽≈~

Now … 

Am I still enjoying this show?

Gosh, yes!

I don’t think it’s the intellectual challenge that Dick’s original novel was.   But it’s been a while since I’ve read The Man in the High Castle.

But, from what I recall?

STILL reflects some of the books themes.

The main one?   That Juliana comes to, at the end of the novel?

That the reality we see around us — her world dominated by Japan and Germany — isn’t necessarily the only one going.

From what I recall of the book, it wraps up Juliana’s realisation in her attempts to met the Man in the High Castle: who’s book is causing such a stir.

In the series?

She realises this from when she sees the film: in episode 1

Which is her motivation not for finding out more about this alternative reality.

But for fighting to make her world better.

At least, that’s what I’m taking from the episodes, thus far.

We’ll have to see what happens, next, won’t we?

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